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I'd never known what a death rattle sounded like. I wasn't born into a war. It was a time of peace, for the majority of my life, anyway.

My upbringing wasn't great; but it certainly triumphed over the majority. 

I, Lucius Talon, Third in line to take over the title of Baron. Which meant I would not see the title of baron personally unless my brothers were to die. 

Surely, a populous and well respecting barony, yes?

Unfortunately, we were poor. To the standards of aristocrats, at least.

Few butlers and maids. A bit of debt. Very cheaply made dresses and suits. But that's besides the point. We were technically royalty.

During my upbringing, as my focus and upbringing wasn't on the political side, I honed myself with the sword. Day in and Day out, I'd swing my sword. On days, it felt like I was becoming more Intune with the very ideology behind the blade.

With each passing day, my blade became sharper, and so did I. And at the age of 13, I was able to best even well trained soldiers in my estate. Who had many times my experience.

I first heard the death rattle when I was 9. My father had been training me with a bow for a couple months. And took me out for a demonstration, where he shot an arrow at a pronghorn.

The blood was unsettling, but the plea I heard for mercy made me vomit.

The rattle was horrifying. It seemed to be begging me to spare it the pain.

And so I did.

Think about it. You're all alone with your thoughts. Your body shutting down, your brain still doing everything in its power, working to stay alive. And its just you. All alone. The outside world seems to fade. Your vision blurs as breathing feels like its coming in through a needle.

A horrifying prospect.

I'd known what it was all this time, I'd heard it come from the wildlife/. The monsters I'd slay. But I never thought the first human death rattle I'd hear, would be my own..

It was wet. The saliva in my throat building up. I didn't have the strength to even swallow. I knew my body was desperately trying to stay alive. I could feel my mana circulating at a speed that'd kill a normal human. I could feel my heart pumping hard. 

But the mana began to slow down, and my heart pumped softer.

This was it. I was dying. Alone. In a desolate gravel road. Surrounded by shattered wagons, a gutted horse, and a dozen dead men, all ripped and torn apart like a wet tissue. Sitting atop me, was the dead body of the monster that did all of this.

Azrilga. One of the weaker outer gods that had invaded us. The very same one that slaughtered my family the day they invaded. Now lay dead atop me. My sword piercing through what I could only assume to be its heart. 

I was dying, but I had slain a god. Something you would think only to happen in a fairy tale, or a book. I had succeeded in, at the cost of my life. It was a blissful feeling. Taking the concept of a god, and slaughtering it. 

My comrades who I had tried desperately to save, had largely perished with me. The survivors escaping just to live another grim and bloody day.

I had hoped it wouldn't be me that would fall next. I was no hero. I was no leader. No commander. I was simply stronger than most. What pains me is how much stronger I could have been if I hadn't had that accident. 

But it doesn't matter. The past is past. I'm merely a nameless figure in the history of the world. Born into the world to be a nobody for a barony not bothered to be credited in the history books. 

I just.. need to close my eyes.. and accept the sweet embrace of death.

My blood was spilling out less. It was freezing cold. My body felt weak and the muscles failed me. And my thoughts began to slip. This was goodbye.

But.. I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to keep fighting these damn invaders. I still had so much fight left in me. I.. I still had dreams.. I had hope.. I thought that.. maybe.. just maybe.. a miracle could happen, and we could turn this damn war around.

Pointless as it may have been. That was my hope.

The energy in my body seemed to rejuvenate. Enough so that I should shout into the world and vent my frustrations.

"Why.. Why has this happened? Why could we not have lived in a world of peace? I just wanted to go home that day.."

I wanted to see my beautiful fiancé. I yearned to see my son, who so desperately asked me to hurry on home in every letter he wrote me. I missed them both.

I missed my father. My mother. My brothers. I missed them all

All of them slaughtered on the day it happened. My wife gutted like a dog. My parents both eaten, the only thing left of them was their their hands. Their rings covered in blood.

And.. my son. 

My son. My baby boy.

He was still alive. Just hours ago he still lived. Hours ago I was able to see his face. His crooked and broken smile as he finally saw his dad.

He died in my arms. He was drowning in his own blood for agonizing minutes.

I begged the goddesses. But I begged to deaf ears. They ignored my pleas.

I snapped, my thoughts focused on the pure hatred I had for the goddesses.

"Lana.. Annette.. You fucking bastards. You never showed yourselves once. You could have fought for us.. You claimed you would fight. But the fuck did you two do, huh? Sat on your asses as we fought your battles.. Sat on your asses as we died left and right just to slay a small FRACTION of their armies."

I screamed out into the world. My voice fell on deaf ears.

There was nobody to hear my dying words.

There was nobody to hear my cries.

There was nobody left alive.

"you have every right to feel that way, Lucien." A voice I'd never heard before, spoke. It didn't seem like the voice any human could have. It was unblemished. As if the voice itself was magic.

The voice continued, this time joined by another. "We had hoped our aid would be enough. And by the time we realized, it'd been too late to intervene further. Less we risk our whereabouts being found by the outer ones. It's selfish in nature. And we see that now."

Their identity clicked, but my words fell short. I wanted to argue with them. I wanted to curse their names, but nothing. I could only continue breathing

"There is so much that you, Lucien; were destined for. The owner of the 11th divine weapon, Krynsta. The blade of defiance."

I hardly listened to a word they spoke. I didn't care if it was important. I just wanted to stay alive. But as they spoke, I felt energy entering my body. I could hear normally. I could swallow. And all of the information they spoke, became clear.

"We offer you a chance. To return to the past. Before this war. Before your indoctrination into the Soul Academy. Before you officially gained your Soul manifestation."

I wanted to speak, but I felt it right not to. Despite how I had slandered the goddesses names, and cursed them for being pathetic. They were now doing such a thing for me.

Returning to the past? The dream of every man or woman anywhere, who made a mistake they'd like to correct? I was being given that chance!? 

"we only hope.." They continued, "That you are able to take full advantage of this chance."

The energy in my body faded. My breathing was now a struggle. 

I was dying.

Was it a lie?

Are they just going to let me die after promising such a thing?

I wept silently, my tears falling in a silent cascade. A sentiment to the silent life I had led.

And finally, my eyes failed me. And my thoughts went blank.

I was dead.

A rock bounced against the window. The sound startling me immensely. I could hear children laughing outside the door.

"Come on Lucien! Wake up Already!" The voice seemed to whine as it spoke. "Lets go to the woods and have our picnic! You didn't forget, did you?"

I sighed, before standing. 

"What a strange illusion.."

Another rock pelted the window, and I approached. Swinging it open as I yelled

"Oi! What the bloody fu-" I spoke, before getting pelted in the eye by another thrown pebble. 

I gripped my eye, covering it as I fell back, clutching it. The pain was intense, but it melted away with the realization.

"It.. Hurts?"

I was shocked. The pain subsided as the only thing I could focus on was the fact that it.. actually hurt. I mean, by all manners it shouldn't hurt. You can't really, feel pain when dead. Nor when you're in an illusion. But this, actually hurt.

I thought back to the last thing I could remember before I woke up.

"Wait.. is this really the past?"

I quickly grabbed the mirror on the desk, I held it up to my face.. And there it was.

My face. But.. more round. More baby fat. If I had to guess.. I was 9? maybe 10? I thought about it. And its very likely to be one of the two.

The voice from earlier rang out again. 

"Lucien? Are you okay? I hit you in the face.. I'm sorry.."

The voice.

That voice.

It was Renna's. My sister.

I rushed to the window. And leaned out, peering down at her.

"..Renna? Is that you?"

She looked up at me. Her young face smiling up at me once she saw me. 

The same girl who I watched get butchered just to save my life.

I said nothing. Stumbling out the door. Startling a maid who was just about to enter. I paid her no mind even as she called my name. 

I had to see her again.

I had to see my sister.

Even as I clutched her face, I instinctively knew it was really her just by seeing her.

My sister. My amazing, beautiful sister.

She had a life ahead of her.

A top tier Soul Manifestation, A sharp mind, an even sharper tongue, and a marriage contract towards the man she loved. Who was the heir to Viscount Tristan. She loved him, and he loved her.

She could have been one of the most influential woman in our area should time allow it. 

But she was snuffed out at just age 15. Dying to save my life.

And I put that energy towards the sword. Though I started late; I had rivaled many other Soul Knights during my last few years of life, many in their thirties, who had trained since they were 8.

Though I started when I was 11, and only lived to 22.

I owe most of my success to the Soul Manifestation, which gave me the power I needed to get as powerful as I did.

"Lucien, you crazy kid. What's going on with you? You're staring into space." Renna spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence I had accidentally invoked.

"O-Oh.. I apologize. I simply couldn't comprehend something for a moment. I figured.. that would help." I replied, spewing out a half-baked lie that even a toddler could dispel. She of course, was smarter than a toddler, and saw through the lie, but moved past it.

"Right. Well, we've got to get going. I already got the perfect spot set out for us! It's right by the river bed on an incline. Oh, you've just got to see it to believe it!" She spoke gracefully.

My mind wandered once more, back to the events of this day in the past. And I remembered.

She was instantly killed by mountain bandits during this picnic. Her life in exchange for mine.

And she took it without hesitation.

I owe her everything.

"I'm sure you do.. B-big sister" I spat out, the word seeming foreign and ugly in my mouth. I wasn't use to saying that. 

She smiled, accepting my answer without much thought, before grabbing my hand and dragging me behind her and we began our trek to our picnic spot. I clutched her hand, before yanking back on it.

"R-Renna, do we have to have a picnic today? I just.." I looked around, desperately finding an excuse, before finding it. "I just.. I don't like the weather, today. It doesn't seem good for a picnic." I muttered.

"The weather? But it's sunny out. No chance of rain or anything! Its warm and cozy.. It's perfect!" She replied, confused but reassuring.

"Renna. Lets not do the picnic today." I said, the childlike facade gone now. She noticed the change immediately, and it started her. As a Soul Apprentice, she could generally tell when people were serious. It was part of her Soul Manifestation. 

"O-Oh.. Okay, if you implore." She muttered, quite startled.

I felt regret immediately. I hated using such a stern voice on my sister after having not seen her after over a decade. Though it'd been only a day for her.. But It was necessary. 

After a brisk conversation, she returned to her quarters, likely to get a jumpstart on todays activities due to the cancellation of our.. 'lovely' picnic.

I ventured to the barracks where the knights were currently training. A few duels shook the surrounding air, with one duel shaking the very barracks themselves.

Sir Javier Henson. A retired Soul Knight who retired after loosing his arm, was now the commanding officer for the Talon baronies knights. His mighty great sword shook the air as electricity crackled along its golden edges, one point of contact enough to kill someone my age.

The man he was fighting was just as impressive.

Rodney. Despite the peasant background he was on near equal footing with Javier. His tenacity and talent made up for the social difference. His longsword reverberated in his hand as the energy building inside cascaded outward in a devastating attack that nearly caused Javier's great sword to fly from his hands.

But Javier held on, and threw one last deadly strike at Rodney, which caused his sword to shatter. The great sword continuing its path before stopping mere inches from his face. A voice rang out.

"Sir Javier Henson, Win! As per duel agreement, Rodney must pay the beer tab for the entire knights squad!"

Cheers erupted at these news. Javier seemed to laugh the loudest, slapping Rodney on the back with thunderous claps.

I stuck to the side, grabbing a wooden blade from a barrel, as I held it in my hands. Putting it away.

I continued this for many minutes, before grabbing one final blade; stopping as I held it.

Firm, weighty, not too light but definitely heavy. 

I swung it a few times, getting a feel for it. Before nodding to myself. But before I could even swing it at a target, an alarm rang out signaling the knights squad.

"Attention! Two figures are approaching the gate. Intentions unknown weapons are in the open. Figures appear to be male, wearing light robes and a green emblem. Report to main training hall for further instructions."

My ears perked at the warning. I'd never heard it before, courtesy of being on a very.. Exciting picnic last time. 

I shuffled towards the main area, hiding behind a few knights as Javier spoke.

"Grafton, I said it'll be nothing. They're not here for a fight. And even if they were, why worry? You've got Rodney here to depend on" Javier said, teasingly elbowing Rodney as he spoke.

"But sir, are the emblems anything to note?" A voice rang out.

"Probably nothing. My guess is that they're alchemists. Just a vial filled with a bubbling liquid for an emblem." Javier said reassuringly.

It called the nerves of the knights around, some even laughed. 

My hair stood on end. Already I'd broken out into a cold sweat. I could feel my blood pumping.

It was them.

It was Plague.

It was the two people who killed my sister. And now they're approaching the barony. Weapons brandished.

They were here for a fight. A fight they'd likely win.

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